


Mistress of Shadows

by elizabethemerald



Series: Morgana centric stories [1]
Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-08
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25788514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elizabethemerald/pseuds/elizabethemerald
Summary: Morgana senses a powerful magic practitioner. And sense a hint of dark magic around her as well. She shares some of her knowledge with Claire, in the hope of sparing her the path of darkness.
Relationships: Morgana | Pale Lady & Claire Nuñez
Series: Morgana centric stories [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870798
Comments: 13
Kudos: 53





	Mistress of Shadows

“Hand maiden? Could you attend me?” Morgana called softly into the study attached to her rooms. The girl, Claire of House Nuñez, entered her rooms with a sour expression on her face. A strange child. She had accompanied Merlin’s apprentice Hisirdoux, and Lancelot’s newest squire. 

Morgana extended her awareness a little. She could sense hostility radiating off the girl. The same hostility had been mixed with a wave of fear when the girl first sighted her in the throne room. However she quickly schooled her face, showing nothing but pleasant interest. 

“What may I do for you, Lady Morgana?” Claire’s voice was so carefully trained to a pleasant neutrality. She would do well with statecraft, though she would need to learn how to hide her emotions from other magic users. 

“There is a celebration to happen tonight. Would you assist me into my formal attire?” Morgana watched the girl with shrewd eyes, as she gestured to her outfit for the evening. Claire stepped up to the dress, her careful mask slipping for a moment as she examined the dress. Her face briefly showed her confusion, as she worried her lip with her teeth. Then her mask returned and she picked up the first piece of the outfit. 

Morgana would have raised an eyebrow, if she did not have her own mask firmly in place. The girl didn’t recognize one of the most popular and current styles of attire. And yet she had control over shadow magic. Morgana could feel the unmistakable aura around the child. 

As Claire walked around her, helping her into the dress, Morgana examined her closely. There. At the corner of her eyes, as she leaned closer to adjust a button. And there. On her hands as she placed a cloak around Morgana’s shoulders. The tell tale hairline cracks of dark magic. 

Truly no one who didn’t have personal experience with dark magic would have noticed. Morgana had felt her own skin splintering under the force of the magic she wielded. Had seen the cracks spiderweb up her arms and had seen the scars they leave on her own face. 

“Claire?” Morgana said softly. The girl’s eyes flicked to her own before returning to the garment. “That is your name correct? Claire?”

Claire nodded, not making eye contact again. “Yes it is, Morgana- uh, Lady Morgana.”

“There is no need for such formalities when it just the two of us. You can call me Morgan if you like.”

Morgana moved a hand to lay on Claire’s shoulder. To her surprise the girl flinched back like she expected to be struck. And if Morgana hadn’t been watching her closely for any signs, she might have missed her eyes briefly changing from brown to purple and black. Morgana allowed her hand to return to her side. 

“You don’t need to pay attention to all the stories Hisirdoux tells about me. The boy has quite the imagination.” Morgana paused, watching Claire’s face closely. She also kept her senses tuned to the waves of emotions flowing off her. “I won’t hurt you Claire.”

“Of course my Lady.” Claire gave a slight curtsy, no longer meeting her eyes, before turning on her heel to leave, Morgana’s attire set for the evening. 

“Though continuing to perform Dark Magic might.”

Claire stopped, her back straight and rigid as a spear. The hostility that had permeated the air around her since meeting her was suddenly swamped in fear. Morgana moved to sit at her table. 

“Come here girl.” Claire turned, and Morgana could almost see the dozens of lies and excuses bubbling to the surface. “Do you think I wouldn’t recognize the signs of someone who had used Dark Magic?”

She stood there stiffly for a few moments, before slowly stepping closer. When she was closer Morgana carefully lifted her hands, keeping her motions slow and deliberate. She didn’t want to spook the girl again. When Claire didn’t flinch away again, Morgana put her hands on her cheeks, examining her face even closer this time. 

The cracks were carved deep. And yet there was only one set. If someone had used dark magic multiple times the cracks would be layered on top of each other, changing the color of the skin to an ashen gray. Their depth however was interesting enough in its own right. A singular use of dark magic, yet powerful to a degree she had rarely seen before. Morgana sat back, allowing her hands to drop to the table top again, a small smile on her face. 

“I recognized your shadow magic earlier. How could I not? I’ve been the sole practitioner of shadow magic in the castle for years. But I thought I felt a trace of dark magic. That is a dangerous magic to use.”

Claire’s face crumpled in frustration. “I already got this lecture from Merlin. I know shadow magic is dangerous!”

Morgana allowed one elegant eyebrow to rise towards her hairline. “Not shadow magic, Claire, Dark magic.”

She leaned back, again carefully bring her hands up, making sure she broadcasted each movement clearly. A hint of shadow danced at her finger tips. The light in the room dimming a little. 

“There is nothing inherently wrong with Shadow magic. It just another specialization. Like fire magic, or healing magic, or even Merlin’s artifacing. It is neither good, nor bad. It simply is.” Again Morgana carefully watched Claire’s face. The girl looked surprised, and watched the dancing shadow with interest. Her rapt attention showed a calculating mind, quick learning. Morgana had no doubts that she would be able to perfectly replicate the magic after only a little practice. “It is certainly true that the nature of shadow magic makes it a favoured tool of assassins or thieves, or even the trolls in the wood. But that does not make it evil.”

“However,” Morgana continued her lesson. “Dark magic is a different beast all on its own.”

Claire stepped back a moment, then glanced at the other chair at the small table, almost unconsciously. Morgana gestured to the chair, inviting her to sit. Then when she was seated and again paying attention, Morgana breathed in, then out slowly. She drew on the darkness that was only ever a whisper away from her. It was as close to her as the clothes on her back. 

Claire gasped as the dark magic took hold. Morgana knew hair line cracks were appearing around her eyes. She carefully made sure they were not deep enough to leave any permanent mark. Then she sighed and released her hold on the magic. 

“Shadow magic is a tool. As one may prefer a hammer over an axe so might one prefer to dwell among the shadows as among the flame. Dark Magic, however is a source of power, not a tool to direct.”

“You know that all magic has a source?” Morgana waited for Claire’s hesitant nod. “Most wizards utilize the magic within their own bodies. Merlin is quite the fan of using the magics inside minerals and elements of the earth around him. Dark magic allows the wizard to pull more magic than their body can hold. It kills the body, to do so, but it allows for powerful works of magic, for those in dire need or with little care for the value of life.”

“Dark magic… kills the body?” Claire asked, her eyes wide now. 

“Yes. It can cause the mess that is inside a body to die, the cracks that are on the skin only show the barest hint of the damage that is being done. Enough usage of dark magic could cause the organs to fail, the lungs to be unable to draw breath, the heart unable to beat.”

Morgana knew that a careful practitioner could exclusively draw on this necrotic force from outside their body, ensuring that only other living things paid the cost of the magic. Or, as Morgana often did, just the opposite, ensuring that only they pay the cost, so nothing else is harmed. However this wasn’t a lesson she wanted to impart on to a young magic user. That way laid corruption. And eventually, succumbing to the evil of killing those around them for their own reward. 

Claire’s face was closed off. Thoughtful. Good. Morgana well knew the danger of Dark magic. It was difficult to tread the line between the benign shadow and the cruel darkness. Too easy to began to enjoy the death and suffering the darkness could cause. Morgana leaned forward, catching Claire’s attention again. 

“There are only two kinds of people who resort to dark magic. Those who care not for the suffering their magic causes.” Morgana watched Claire’s mask drop again. She looked horrified. Scared. Morgana gave her a warm smile. “Or those whose need is so desperate that they must resort to destroying their own body.”

“So tell me. Claire of House Nuñez. What road lead you to such desperate straits as to risk your body and soul to cast a spell of this magnitude?”

Claire had tears in the corners of her eyes. Her hand, almost on its own accord flew to cover her mouth, suppressing a sob. Morgana prided herself on her perceptiveness. This Claire was not a girl to play with magics without reason. Much less with dark magic on a scale that could have caused the cracks on her face. 

“The-the troll, I was found with-” Claire hesitated, her eyes flicking away, grief and longing on her face. 

“You love him?” Morgana said softly. She waited for Claire’s nod, then again put a gently hand on the girl’s shoulder. This time Claire did not flinch away. “A human and a troll in love? I never thought I would see the day.”

“Well he was my boyfriend first!” Claire declared, her usual forcefulness and fire returning to her voice. 

“In that case. If you would resort to dark magic enough to mark yourself like this, then it seems there would be no sense in keeping the two of you apart.” Claire looked up at her, tears still shining in her eyes, but determination shining there too. “After all, I’m sure the two of you would do anything for each other.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, I just love the idea of Morgana trying to mentor Claire. The show makes it obvious that Morgana is compassionate at the beginning, and I don't think she would want a young caster to hurt herself with dark magic. 
> 
> Also this operates on some of my personal headcanons and original ideas for how magic works.


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